I use Surf Shark to spoof my location on my android phone, and it works great! I would love to do the same on my Chromebook, since I travel a lot and accessing geo-restricted content doesn’t work the best even when using a VPN. However, I can’t find a place to enable mock location on my Chromebook, even within the developer settings. I’m kind of lost, if anyone knows how to do this, that would be great.
the location mocking in dev tools is available under “sensors”. but if you’re looking to get around geo resitrictions it probably won’t work for you.
I use a VPN, change the system time to that of the VPN location, and then open an incognito window and it has always successfully spoofed the location. Never tried in the normal browser window though.
Have you tried similar?
Since Chromebooks don’t have GPS the only location awareness will be from geo-IP (assuming you don’t have cellular). I would expect VPN to work.
Are you using a system VPN client or a browser extension?
Don’t help him stalk his ex!
but isn’t that what the vpn is for? I use Windscribe via its chrome extension and I can watch video from anywhere easily.
I used to use an extension on Chrome on a Mac to watch a live CBS channel from Boston. My S.O. wanted to watch the Patriots games and a subscription to CBS Now plus this extension did the trick when a VPN didn’t. So there is apparently some kind of location detection that exists outside of your IP address.
I use the Wireguard Android app on Chrome OS with Mullvad as my VPN provider and my Chromebook thinks it’s wherever the server I’m using at the time is.
I have, and I’ve also tried other apps. It still finds where I am somehow, which is so weird because it absolutely shouldn’t be able to do that
Chromebooks do have WiFi. That’s enough for Google to get your location.
I’m actually using both, which is why I’m so surprised it isn’t spoofing it properly. Whenever I ask google search where I am, it comes up with where I really am, not where my VPN is set to be.
chrome exposes your current location through the javascript geolocation api, so websites do not have to rely solely on geoIP if you have granted the location permission to them.
i’m not sure how google fills in the data, probably some combination of geoIP, nearby wifi SSIDs, and the location history of the google account you’re signed into. but even if it’s just a raw GeoIP lookup, they could still use the last value before you enabled the VPN.
If I go back to her, you all have full permission to beat me over the head with a blunt object repeatedly
That’s what I’m saying. Whenever I ask Google “what’s my location” on Google search, even if the VPN is on, it knows exactly where I am!
Do you know what extention that was? Because that’s basically why I’m doing this, I travel a lot and wanna watch my local sports teams play when I’m on the road
Close all browser windows. Connect the VPN. Set the system time to match the chosen VPN location. Open an incognito window. Visit whoer.net and see what is reported (more comprehensive info is further down the page, a summary is at the top).
That should give an idea as to what info ‘outside’ services can see about your device.
If you spot DNS anomalies or WebRTC leaks it’s pointing towards your VPN provider. If you spot other stuff not looking correct then post up here and somebody will hopefully be able to advise/comment.
(whoer.net is just one way of checking this info - there are many others too)
I just tried on my phone, which obviously has connections to cell towers, GPS location etc etc etc i.e. more location info than a Chromebook.
Turn on VPN and in an incognito window my in-browser location is shown as that of the VPN.
Use a regular browser window and it returns my physical location.
So that’s your likely answer - it’s just geolocation data being pulled from the browser, as others have said.
Just use an incognito window - job accomplished.
I’d assume that turning off wifi would force the device to fallback to geoip.
I think this is because of your search history and signed in google account
When I get back home, I’m going to try using a travel router as well that I have and seeing if enabling the VPN on that makes a difference. Hopefully that makes it work